DataBank Indicator

Learning Disabilities

In 2013, six percent of children living in families at or above the poverty line, and 12 percent of children below it, were identified as having a learning disability.

Importance

Learning disabilities include a number of discrete disorders that affect children’s ability to learn. Learning disabilities do not include problems that are mainly visual, hearing, emotional or intellectual, although these can also make it more difficult to learn. There are three main types of learning disabilities: difficulty with reading (dyslexia), difficulty with written language (dysgraphia), and difficulty with math (dyscalculia). Less common forms of learning disabilities include difficulty with memory or social skills.[1]

A learning disability can be a life-long condition, affecting many aspects of life, including education and employment, family life, and daily routines. Children with learning disabilities are far more likely than other children to be enrolled in special education and to use health care services.[2] Despite their limitations, persons with learning disabilities can learn if given the opportunity. Academic supports and accommodations can help with the learning process, as can medical treatment for certain disorders.[3]

It is not clear what causes learning disorders. However, existing evidence indicates a diverse set of influences related to problems in bringing together information from various parts of the brain. Possible causes for these difficulties include genetic factors; maternal use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco during pregnancy; complications during pregnancy; and environmental toxins, such as cadmium and lead.[4]

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not in itself a learning disability, but it often interferes with learning and is connected to academic skills disorders.[5] Estimates are that slightly less than one-half of all children ages six to 11 identified as having a learning disability also have ADHD.[6]

Trends

Between 1997 and 2013, the proportion of children identified by a school official or health professional as having a learning disability varied only slightly, staying between seven and eight percent, and was eight percent in 2013. (Figure 1)

Differences by Gender

Boys are more likely than girls to be identified as having a learning disability. In 2013, nine percent of boys and six percent of girls, ages three to 17, had a learning disability. (Figure 1)

Differences by Parental Education

In 2013, children who had a parent with a Bachelor’s degree or higher were less likely to have a learning disability than those with parents who had only a high school diploma or some college (five percent, compared with ten and eight percent, respectively). (Appendix 1)

Differences by Health Insurance Coverage

Children covered by public health insurance are almost twice as likely as uninsured children and children with private insurance to be identified as having a learning disability (10 percent of children covered by public health insurance, versus six percent of uninsured children and children with private insurance, in 2013). (Figure 2)

Differences by Poverty Status and Receipt of Public Assistance

Children in poverty and in families that receive public assistance are more likely to be identified as having a learning disability. In 2013, 12 percent of children living in families below the federal poverty line were identified as having a learning disability, compared with six percent of other children. Children living in families that receive SNAP benefits (food stamps) are also much more likely than other children to be identified as having a learning disability: 11 percent, compared with six percent of other children. Differences by TANF (welfare) receipt were not significant in 2013). (Appendix 1)

In 2013, there were no significant differences in the rate of learning disabilities by race or Hispanic origin. (Appendix 1)

Differences by Age

The percentage of children who are identified as having a learning disability increases with age. In 2013, three percent of three- to four-year-olds, eight percent of five- to eleven-year-olds, and nine percent of12- to 17-year olds had been diagnosed as having a learning disability. (Appendix 1) Some of this disparity is certainly due to the longer period of time in which a learning disability can become evident.

State and Local Estimates

The U. S. Office of Special Education Programs offers a count of children covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), for each state from 2005-2012. (under Public Data and Resources, 2012 IDEA Part B Child Count and Educational Environments)

Definition

The National Health Interview Survey asks adult respondents, typically a parent, the following question concerning their child: “Has a representative from a school or a health professional ever told you that (sample child) had a learning disability?”

According to education and health professionals, a learning disability may exist when the child’s level of achievement is substantially below what is expected by their intelligence level or ability to learn.[8] Federal legislation regulating special education services in public schools defines a learning disability as “a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.”[9]

Data Sources

Data for 1998-2013: Original analyses by Child Trends of the National Health Interview Survey.

2Parental education reflects the education level of the most educated parent in the child’s household.

3Children with both public and private insurance are placed in the private insurance category.

4As defined here, public health insurance for children consists mostly of MEDICAID or other public assistance programs, including State plans. It does not include children with only Medicare or the Civilian Health and Medical Care Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS/CHAMP-VA/Tricare).